The Life She Deserves
by Emmi82
Summary: He doesn't care what she thinks, he's going to do anything to get her out of that bar so she can live the life she deserves, even if she is his ex-girlfriend. TxG!
1. Coyote Ugly

THE LIFE SHE DESERVES

**THE LIFE SHE DESERVES**

**Coyote Ugly**

Troy walked into the popular New York bar, Coyote Ugly, with one of his teammates, Brett. He didn't really want to be there but Brett convinced him, for they, being 2 members of the Los Angeles Lakers had beaten the Knicks that night. Although Coyote Ugly wasn't the nicest bar in town it was packed with people every night. This was due to the girls who danced provocatively on the bar throughout the night. As soon as he and Brett walked in, they stopped for it was of course filled with people. Troy looked up at the bar to see that there were no girls on it, so he assumed that they were serving drinks at the moment. He did his best to make his way to the bar. All of a sudden music blasted through the speakers, which led to many cheers. He looked up to see a blonde in a black mini skirt and corset and a talk brunette in leather pants and a crop top. They began to dance provocatively as another girl climbed onto the bar. The brunette with olive skin was clad in leather bootie shorts, boots, and a shirt that showed a lot of cleavage and about 2 inches of her stomach. He looked at her and his eyes immediately narrowed in confusion, finding something familiar about the girl.

"Dude! How tight is this!" Brett exclaimed, but Troy didn't acknowledge him, for he was too captivated by the girl dancing on the bar. "Dude!"

"Huh? What?" Troy asked looking at Brett

"What's going on you look like you've seen a ghost?" Brett asked confused. Troy looked back at the bar.

"Nothing I just swear I've seen that girl before," he replied looking at the brunette.

"A former lover, perhaps?" he smirked. Troy thought about the girls he had been with and finally they went to his high school sweetheart. His eyes widened. _No it couldn't be…she would never…_ Just then she flipped her hair and he gasped. On the back of her neck was a tattoo, of the number 14.

"Oh my god," he said in shock. There was his ex girlfriend, dancing on a bar wearing clothes that showed parts of her body that were once reserved for his eyes only.

"Yeah baby!" a guy that was ogling her exclaimed. Anger filled his eyes. He wanted to punch the guy for looking at her the way he was and even more for calling her baby. He immediately made his way to the bar, fury running through his veins. He didn't know what he was madder at, the fact that guys were looking at her like she was a sex toy or the fact that she practically was one. When he was about 5 feet away from the bar he looked back up at her and she coincidentally looked down. Their eyes locked and he gave her a stern look. Her eyes widened and her face went pale. She immediately hoped off the bar and turned around, not wanting to look at Troy again. Troy made his way up to the bar and was immediately approached by the blonde.

"Hey hun can I get you a drink?" she asked.

"No I'm good, what's your name?" he asked, flashing his signature smile.

"Cami," she smiled back. "Troy Bolton right?"

"That's me. Well Cami, can you do me a favor and get your friend over there, I need to speak to her," he asked sweetly.

"May I ask why? You don't even know her name."

"Actually, I do. It's Gabriella Montez."

Please Review!! I know it's short, I guess it is kinda the intro, I promise the next will be longer.


	2. Come With Me

COME WITH ME

**COME WITH ME**

"How do you know that?" Cami asked confused.

"I know a lot about Gabriella," Troy replied.

"Like what?"

"You know that tattoo on her neck?" he asked and Cami nodded. Troy glanced at Gabriella to see she had frozen in her place. "Do you know why it is of the number 14?"

"Her lucky number," Cami replied and Troy smiled.

"Actually it's my lucky number. It's my jersey number," Troy replied. "She got it on our 2 year anniversary." Cami's jaw dropped and looked at Gabriella who had now turned her head towards them. "Do you know she was also the valedictorian? So it confuses me Cami, as to why a girl who had a 4.0 GPA, graduated from Stanford and had the whole world at her feet, is dancing on a bar." Cami looked at him in shock as Gabriella stormed over.

"What do you want?!" she exclaimed.

"I want to know what the fuck you are doing!" he exclaimed.

"Working!" she shot back.

"Not anymore you're not," he replied seriously.

"What?!" she exclaimed, looking at him like he was crazy.

"People are starting to stare sweetie," Cami mumbled to Gabriella.

"Ok, then maybe Troy should leave," Gabriella said glaring at him.

"Not until we at least talk," he shot back.

"Fine! Outside!" she exclaimed storming over to the end of the bar. Troy followed her as she ducked under it. She threw him a glare as she came up beside him, and he gave her a stern look. She angrily walked through the bar, and he followed. They finally got to the door and she opened it, not bothering to hold it open for him.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Gabriella exclaimed as he walked out.

"I could ask you the same thing!" he shot back.

"It's none of your damn business!" she screamed.

"None of my business! Are you kidding me? You expect me to stand and watch you shake your ass for a bunch of drunk guys look at you like you are no more than a piece of ass, and not do anything about it!" he yelled.

"Yes, cause newsflash, we aren't together anymore! We haven't been for 5 years!"

"That doesn't mean I don't care about you!" he exclaimed and she froze. He took a deep breath and sighed. "What are you doing Gabi? You are so much better than this."

"It's not what you think Troy. I'm happy," she replied and he shook his head. "As happy as an aspiring singer/songwriter can be. And I get paid good money here," she defended.

"I don't care how much you get paid. No amount of money is worth doing what your doing."

"You're acting like I'm a hooker! I'm a bartender, Troy," she replied. He sighed and thought for a second.

"That might as well be a stripper! You can't do this anymore!"

"Why not? No other job would pay me this much and give me the time to work on my music," she replied. "I'm just trying to pursue my dream Troy, I don't really have any other choice." He sighed and thought for a second.

"Come to L.A. with me," he said and she looked at him like he was insane.

"What?" she asked in shock.

"Come to L.A. You can stay at my house; it's too big for me anyways. I have a friend who is a music producer, I'm sure he can help you put together a demo…"

"Are you serious? I don't need your charity!" she exclaimed, now looking disgusted.

"Charity?! I'm sorry for wanting to help!" he shot back.

"I don't need help!" she exclaimed. "I'm fine!" She turned to storm off but he grabbed her wrist and turned her back around.

"Don't think of it as charity, think of it as a friend helping a friend," he replied seriously.

"Why do you think I need help? Because I don't live in a Beverly Hills mansion like you?" she shot back.

"No! Because if my instincts are correct you live in a tiny apartment in an unsafe neighborhood," he replied and she froze, not knowing what to say, for he was right. "Please Gabi, come to L.A."

"Look Troy, it's nice of you to offer, but I can't," she replied. "It was nice seeing you again." With that she turned around to walk back into the bar.

"Gabi!" he exclaimed, trying to stop her, but she didn't stop. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. If there was one thing he knew, he was going to help her, no matter what she had to say.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	3. What This Means

WHAT THIS MEANS

**WHAT THIS MEANS**

Gabriella sighed and flopped down on her couch. She groaned as she looked through the mail, seeing multiple bills. A confused look washed over her face when she came to an envelope with a handwritten address. She opened it to see a piece of paper folded up. She opened the paper and two small rectangular pieces of paper fell out. She picked them both up. The first was a plane ticket. It had her name on it and it was from New York to L.A. She instantly knew it was from Troy. She then picked up the other piece and looked at it. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. It was a check for ten thousand dollars. She grabbed the piece of paper to read the note.

Gabi-

Don't feel like you have to come to L.A., but I sent you the plane ticket just in case you decide to. It's transferable so you can come whenever you want. As for the money, it's for studio time or if you need a little help on rent or something like that. Don't think of it as charity, I just wanna help you out. Hope to see you soon.

Troy

She looked at the note in shock. After processing what it said, she leaned back into the couch and sighed. She picked up the check and stared at it. She needed the money, there was no doubt about that, but if she cashed it, Troy would know, which means she would be admitting to him that she wasn't financially stable. Just then her eyes caught the clock, and her eyes widened when she saw that it was 9:00, and she had to be at the bar by 9:30.

"Shit!" she exclaimed to herself and stuffed the check and ticket into the coffee table drawer, before quickly getting up to get dressed. She put on a pair of brown leather pants, a brown halter crop top, and brown boots. After finishing her make up and hair she grabbed her coat and ran out of her apartment. She practically ran to the subway station, so she was relieved when she got to sit down after boarding it. Her thoughts immediately traveled back to the piece of mail she had just received from her ex-boyfriend. She had come to one decision, which was that if she was going to go to L.A. she couldn't cash the check. She finally came to the conclusion that she could cash the check and not go to L.A. Go to L.A., return the check, but she would still be living off the Troy, or rip the check up and stay in New York. Now she just had to choose which option. However, before she could think about that the train reached her stop. She got off, and luckily the subway station was right across the street from the bar, so it was only a few minutes before she entered the bar. Cami and Rachel were organizing the alcohol and glasses, while Lil was counting the cash in the register. They all looked up as she walked in.

"Hey guys sorry I'm late," she said immediately.

"It's okay, help Cami with the glasses," Lil said and Gabriella nodded. She hung up her coat and walked over to Cami.

"Hey sweetie," Cami greeted.

"Hey," Gabriella mumbled.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately and Gabriella sighed.

"I got a letter from Troy today," she replied a little annoyed

"And..." Cami said in anticipation.

"There was a plane ticket to la along with a check for 10 thousand dollars," she replied without any emotion.

"What?" Cami exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah," Gabriella nodded

"And you look upset because…" Cami said confused, while looking at Gabriella like she was insane.

"Cause I don't know what to do," Gabriella sighed.

"What do you mean, you don't know what to do? You need the money Gabs."

"I know I do," she sighed, "but if I cash it I will feel like I am forever in debt to him, as well as a charity project. And it will be the same thing if I go to L.A. I can't afford a place there, and he knows that. I mean he already said that if I come I could stay at his house, which means I would be living off of him. I can't possibly do that."

"It would be a different story if you came to him, but he approached you Gabi, and it seems like he really wants you to go out there. I mean he did send you a plane ticket," Cami replied.

"I know," Gabriella replied reluctantly. "But it's also…" she started then stopped.

"Also what?" Cami asked. Gabriella sighed and leaned back against the bar.

"I'm his ex. It would be weird. He said it would be a friend helping a friend, but we've never been just friends."

"So you still have feelings for him?" Cami asked rhetorically.

"No! Of course not!" Gabriella exclaimed defensively and Cami gave her a look, which made Gabriella sigh. "He's my first love, there will always be a part of me that loves him, but I don't wanna get back together with him."

"Why not? He obviously still loves you, and he's like absolutely perfect," Cami replied.

"What makes you think he still loves me?"

"It might be the fact that he wants you to come out to L.A. so bad, that he sent you a plane ticket," Cami replied.

"So you think I should just give up my whole life here and just go all the way to L.A." Gabriella asked.

"You're whole life here? Gabriella you sit in your run down apartment all day, playing the piano, before coming here and dancing for a bunch of sleezy guys. He is right, you are better than this," Cami replied. "I don't think you should go. I think you need to go."

"We'll see," Gabriella sighed.

"Just think about it…seriously."

"Yeah. I will," Gabriella replied.

--

"Thank god," Gabriella mumbled to herself as she walked out of the bar. It was almost 3 in the morning and she was glad that she was finally going home. It had been a long night to say the least. Little did she know, it was hardly over. She walked down the stairs of the subway station, which was pretty much deserted. After using her metro card that would get her on the train she walked towards the tracks. As she did she noticed a man standing against the wall. He was dressed in all black, had a beanie on, and was smoking a cigarette. Gabriella tensed up as soon as she saw him eye her out of the corner of her eye. She saw him put out of the cigarette and push himself off the wall. Knowing this guy was nothing but bad news, she picked up her pace. Her heart started to pound as she heard him come closer. Before she knew it she had been slammed against the pole. She screamed out of pain. Tears began to well up in her eyes out of fear.

"Please…please don't hurt me," she cried.

"You give me that purse of yours and I won't have too," he replied harshly and she froze. Inside her purse were all of the tips she had received that night. It was money that she desperately needed. All of a sudden his hand collided with her cheek leading her head to hit the metal pole and she screamed in pain. "Don't make me tell you again." Shaking, she handed him the purse.

"Good girl," he said in an evil tone. He slammed her up against the pole, before running off. She slid down to the ground, now sobbing. After a few minutes, she was able to reach into her pocket and pull out her cell phone that she had fortunately not put in her purse. Shaking, she dialed a number and put the phone up to her ear after pressing send.

"Hello," Cami answered.

"Cami," Gabriella cried.

"Gabriella?! What's wrong?" Cami asked frantically.

"I…I was mugged," she cried and Cami gasped.

"Where are you?"

"The subway station across from the bar," she replied through her tears.

"I'll be there in 5 minutes," Cami replied.

"Ok," Gabriella said weakly. They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Gabriella pulled her knees to her chest and cried into them. A few minutes later she heard her closest friend's Russian accent.

"Oh my god sweetie," Cami said frantically, rushing up to her, and Gabriella looked up at her. "Are you okay?" Gabriella shook her head as Cami bent down to her level. "What did he do to you?"

"He…he…slammed me against the pole…and…and asked for my purse…but…but I hesitated…cause…cause it has my cash from tonight in it…then he slapped me across the face…and I…I was so sc…scared…so…so I gave it to him," Gabriella stuttered through her sobs.

"Oh god honey, I'm so sorry," Cami said sympathetically. "Can you get up? We need to get you home." Gabriella nodded and tried to get up, but winced, which led Cami to immediately grab her arm and help her up. Luckily the train had just arrived, so Cami helped Gabriella onto it. Once they got on Gabriella slowly sat down, wincing as her back hit the back of the seat.

"You okay?" Cami asked and Gabriella nodded. "You know what this means right?"

"Yeah," she mumbled. "I do."

**Please Review!! **


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